TNN(15k-puja.tim)Varying hues of religious ambience

KANPUR: The archetypical idols of Goddess Durga carved in clay came alive with the beat of `dhak' and `aarti' at pandals on the eighth day of the Durga Puja on Friday.
Celebrating the puja with the same grandeur as the last season, various Bengali committees in city have put up magnificent pandals (pavilion) at Armapore, Shastri Nagar, Phool Bagh and Mall Road.The communities have left no stone upturned to give the feel of Kolkata to Kanpur.
Earlier, only the mesmerising idols would adorn the pandals. But, now, it has become a trend to set designer pandal with elaborate interiors that are made by trained artists from Kolkata. The pandals are also lavishly decorated with colourful lights and flowers.
Inside these pandals, a stage is set on which Goddess Durga sits on her lion, wielding 10 different weapons in her 10 hands. A crowd gathers to offer worship or 'pushpanjali' in the morning. Dhakis, carrying large leather-strung dhaks, show off their skills during dance called 'aarti'.
There are more than 50 pandals set up in the city. While some of the pandals are a simple structure, there are a few that are inspired by a particular theme whose elements are incorporated in the decoration.
SRI SRI BARWARI DURGA PUJA COMMITTEE, MALL ROAD
One of the oldest Durga puja committee in the city established in the year 1865, it continues to keep up with the tradition. Practising the same old age traditions for the past 145 years with a blend of ancient and modern Bengal, Aveek Ghosh, a member of the committee, says: "Performing rituals in an entirely traditional way is our priority rather than the lavish decoration. Since we are the oldest committee in the North India, we believe in keeping the age old tradition alive."
This is not all. The committee has a unique tradition of carrying the idol on shoulders at the time of installation and immersion. "The 10-ft Durga idol, weighing around two tons, is carried by more than 40 persons before it is immersed in the Ganga. Moreover, the five idols-- of Durga, Lakshmi, Sarsawati, Ganesha and Kartikya-- which are worshipped during the puja are kept interconnected as they are carved on a single foundation," said Aveek.
SRI SRI MALL ROAD SARVAJANIN DURGA PUJA
A huge pandal welcome you to puja celebrations organised by this 23-year-old committee. Established in the year 1988, the organising committee has decorated the exterior of the pandal in lines with the temples in Kolkata and the interiors are the classic depiction of the fine arts as noticed in old forts and palaces.
Ashish Rao, secretary of the committee, says: "It is the decoration that attracts the masses not only from our community but from other communities as well. For consecutive six years, we have won the trophy for the best pandal and this year also we are looking forward to it."
SHASTRI NAGAR DURGA PUJA COMMITTEE
Following the trend of theme-based pandals, the Shastri Nagar Durga Puja Committee has decorated the pandal like Akashrdhaam Temple. "Every year, we decide on a particular theme that becomes the hallmark of our community. Last year, the pandal was like Victoria Memorial in Kolkata. This year, we have tried to capture the ethnic and royal feel of the Akshardhaam Temple, for which lakhs have been spent," says Ajay Dhar, committee's joint secretary.
LOCAL PUJA COMMITTEES
While the established and well-known puja samitis of Phool Bagh and Mall Road are the maximum crowd pullers, there are also many small communities in the city that are following the same trend and provide equally valuable experience.
Despite the fact that there is an increase in the commercialisation of the prominent committee pandals, the small communities are trying to provide homely ambience to the worshippers. Though the amount spend by these small communities are not on the same scale as big pandals, they are of great religious importance.
"It is difficult for us to be a part of one of the lavish Durga puja ceremonies in Armapore. Thus, we prepare a small pandal in our own community and follow each aspect of the six-day ceremony. We do not participate in any kind of competition," says Debmita Goswami, a resident of Kidwai Nagar.